Gary's growing-up years helped prepare him for his Coast Guard career. He started racing sailboats at a young age, was crew on a Transpacific yacht sailing from Kauai to California as a teenager, and continued sailing into college. He joined the Coast Guard in his early 20s and served 20+ years onboard cutters, the Coast Guard flagship Eagle, and completed shore duty at several locations. This book is based on his experiences while on Coast Guard cutters. His role at each assignment was Storekeeper, where he was responsible for procurement, inventory, and logistics systems.Read about the U.S. Coast Guard's history and mission, along with the day-to-day experiences onboard ships while serving. Find out more about various celebrations, especially the Coast Guard Bicentennial and Square Rigger Olympics; participating in a historic visit to the Soviet Union and other ports; withstanding different weather patterns, including a hurricane; and initiations, along with becoming a Golden Shellback!